Memory/Forgetting WACE

Question 1

Memory

Answer 1

An organism’s ability to store, retain, and subsequently retrieve information

Question 2

Sensory memory or sensory register

Answer 2

Information stored for a short period, usually only a few seconds

Question 3

Short-term memory

Answer 3

-Information that has been attended to is transferred from sensory memory and is stored for a short period
-If information is rehearsed, it is transferred to LTM
-STM holds all current info (thoughts and experiences)
-STM can also retrieve info from LTM

Question 4

Long-term memory

Answer 4

Relatively permanent storage of information

Question 5

Sensory memory/register - duration, capacity and encoding system

Answer 5

Duration: From one to a few seconds
Capacity: Unlimited
Encoding system: As a sense, such as an image or a sound

Question 6

Short-term memory - duration, capacity and encoding system

Answer 6

Duration: 30 seconds
Capacity: Limited to between 5-9 pieces of information
Encoding system: Active processing and rehearsal

Question 7

Long-term memory - duration, capacity and encoding system

Answer 7

Duration: Indefinitely
Capacity: Unlimited, but can decay over time
Encoding system: Physical changes in neurons for storage

Question 8

Duration

Answer 8

The length of time for which information is stored

Question 9

Capacity

Answer 9

The amount of information that can be stored

Question 10

Encoding

Answer 10

The process of converting information into a form that can be used (stored) by the memory system

Question 11

Storage

Answer 11

Information is held for various lengths of time

Question 12

Retrieval

Answer 12

A process that locates stored information and returns it to consciousness as required

Question 13

2 Main Sensory Registers

Answer 13

Iconic & echoic memory

Question 14

Iconic memory- what it holds, duration stored, and storage capacity

Answer 14

It holds: exact replica of visual information (an icon)
Duration stored: approx. 1/3-1/2 of a second
Storage capacity: relatively unlimited

Question 15

Echoic memory- what it holds, duration stored and the storage capacity

Answer 15

It holds: exact replica of auditory information (an echo)
Storage capacity: approx 3-4 seconds
Duration stored: relatively unlimited

Question 16

Magic Miller’s Number 7

Answer 16

Most people can store 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their short term memory

Question 17

Chunking

Answer 17

Taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger meaningful units

Question 18

Serial-position Effect

Answer 18

A pattern of recall from list items, where recall is better for items at the beginning (primacy) or end (recency) of a list than items in the middle

Question 19

Asymptote

Answer 19

The middle portion items of the list are remembered far less well than those at the beginning and at the end

Question 20

Maintenance rehearsal

Answer 20

Repetition of information a number of times so it can be held in STM for longer than 18-20 seconds

Question 21

Maintenance rehearsal advantages/disadvantages

Answer 21

Advantages:
-Allows for info to be stored in STM for longer than 18-20 seconds
-Good for remembering meaningless information
Limitations:
-Does not add to understanding
-Restricts entry of new information into STM
-Limited effect transferring from STM-LTM

Question 22

Elaborative rehearsal

Answer 22

Involves linking new information in some meaningful way with information already stored in the long term memory, or other pieces of new information to hold it in short term memory for longer than 18-20 seconds

Question 23

Elaborative rehearsal advantages/disadvantages

Answer 23

Advantages:
-Increases understanding because it requires deep processing
-Adds more detail; increases retrieval chances
-Makes information more accessible because it creates more potential retrieval cues
Limitations:
-Takes longer than maintenance rehearsal
-Difficult to practise in situations where information entering STM is rapidly changing
-Requires more conscious effort than maintenance rehearsal

Question 24

What encoding does long-term memory rely on?

Answer 24

Long-term memory is encoded semantically

Question 25

What encoding does short-term memory rely on?

Answer 25

Acoustic

Question 26

Procedural memory

Answer 26

Stores how you do things like riding a bike or swimming; sometimes called implicit memory

Question 27

Declarative memory

Answer 27

Concerns all the information we can describe or report

Question 28

Episodic memory

Answer 28

Memory for past personal events; sometimes called autobiographical memory

Question 29

Semantic memory

Answer 29

Memory of facts and information that enables us to construct meaning

Question 30

Recall

Answer 30

Retrieval of information from memory without any prompts or cues

Question 31

Recognition

Answer 31

Retrieval of the correct information from a list of alternatives

Question 32

Relearning

Answer 32

Learning information again that has previously been learned; this occurs more quickly than the original learning

Question 33

Forgetting

Answer 33

Forgetting is the inability to retrieve information previously stored in LTM

Question 34

Retrieval failure

Answer 34

Inability to retreive information when reminder cues do not assist, since the cues are not stored in the first place

Question 35

Interference

Answer 35

Retrieval difficulties due to competing or similar information being stored

Question 36

Motivated forgetting

Answer 36

Where there are advantages to not being able to retrieve the information because it is anxiety-provoking or unpleasant

Question 37

Decay

Answer 37

The fading away of memory over time

Question 38

Proactive interference

Answer 38

When information previously learned interferes with new learning in the memory

Question 39

Retroactive interference

Answer 39

When new information interferes with waht has previously been learned

Question 40

What does the Encoding Specificity Principle (ESP) state?

Answer 40

The ESP states it’s easier to remember info if you have the same cues available at retrieval as you had when you encoded info

Question 41

Context dependent forgetting

Answer 41

Caused by the absence of external environment cues that were present at the time of learning (e.g., smell, place)

Question 42

State dependent forgetting

Answer 42

Caused by the absence of internal bodily cues (e.g., physiological states or mood like drunk, happy, sad) that were experienced at the time of learning